Harvest Muffins

I love Fall and the cool crisp mornings that come with it. I found this muffin recipe while looking for a pumpkin recipe that used apples as well (see previous post). I love these muffins. They're all the flavors of Fall all in one little muffin.

• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups apples, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Streusel Topping:

• 2 Tablespoons flour
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 2 muffin pans with paper liners and set aside. In a large bowl mix the eggs, pumpkin, and vegetable oil until well blended. Add the flour, sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Fold in the apples, pecans and cranberries. Scoop into liners, filling them about ¾ full. Set aside. Make the streusel: in a smaller bowl mix the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with 2 knives, pastry blender or with your fingers until the mixture resembles small pebbles. Top batter with a small spoonful of streusel. Bake muffins at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until muffins bounce back when lightly touched.

Makes about 2 dozen muffins.

Caramel Apple Egg Rolls

We recently moved to a new home and have been blessed with not one, but two Apple trees! And they produce the most amazing red apples, and a few of them are even worm-free. I've been trying to figure out different ways to use up the many apples we pull off the tree every week and came up with this eggroll recipe. Super easy and so delicious! 🍎

• 2 medium apples, cored and chopped (I left the skin on)
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 6 egg roll wrappers
• Caramel sauce for dipping
• Powdered sugar for dusting

In a frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and stir until well blended. Add apples. Cook until apples have softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Fill egg roll wrappers with about ¼ cup of the apple filling. Follow the egg roll packaging directions for rolling and frying. Let cool on paper towel lined plate. Top with a dusting of powdered sugar and serve with a side of salted caramel.

Caramel Apple Cupcakes with Apple Cider Buttercream

These are one of my favorite cupcakes and they're perfect for any fall dessert table.

• 3 ¾ cups flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• ¾ cup chunky applesauce: (I've also just bought chunky applesauce and that works too)
• 3 apples, peeled, cored and choped
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• ½ cup water
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¾ caramel sauce (store bought or make your own, recipe here)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1 ½ cups buttermilk
• Apple Cider Frosting:
• 2lb bag of powdered sugar
• ¾ cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ to ½ cup apple cider

Place applesauce ingredients in small saucepan over low heat and cook until apples are tender. Drain remaining water. Put aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line or grease 2 dozen muffin tins. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl beat the sugar and oil together until well combined. Add applesauce, caramel sauce, and vanilla. Beat for 30 seconds. Then add eggs one at a time. Add flour mixture in slowly, alternating with buttermilk. Pour 2/3 full into muffin cups. Bake for 18 -20 minutes.

Make frosting: Beat butter, cinnamon and powdered sugar on low until incorporated. Add apple cider slowly using only as much as needed to get desired consistency. Adding more powdered sugar if the buttercream gets to runny.

Let cupcakes cool before icing. Once cool top with frosting and drizzle with extra caramel.

My Favorite Scone Recipe

I love a good scone recipe. And it's taken me a few years, but I have found the perfect scone recipe. And it can be easily adapted to pretty much any type of scone you could want! I've listed a few of the ones I've tried and liked. 

• 2 cups flour
• 6 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (½ cup) cold butter, cut into pieces
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• course sugar (optional)
• heavy cream, milk or buttercream (for brushing) - Also optional.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, set aside. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in your stand up mixer. Add the butter, piece at a time. Slowly stir in heavy cream, egg and vanilla. Mix just until incorporated. Roll out into an 8 inch circle. Brush with heavy cream, milk or buttermilk and sprinkle with course sugar. Cut into triangles and place about ½ an inch from each other and bake for 12-16 minutes, or until set and edges are starting to brown. Let cool 5-10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 8 scones.

Recipe adapted from:

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/05/18/strawberry-lemon-poppy-seed-scones/

Make these delicious scones using the above recipe:

Cranberry - Orange Scones

To the flour mixture (before adding butter) zest 1 orange into the flour. Add butter. After adding the liquids, add the juice of the orange and blend well. You might need to add more flour if your orange is super juicy. Fold in 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (I've also used dried cranberries and actually prefer the sweetness of the dried better). Bake as normal.

Maple Pecan Scones

Add ¾ cup chopped pecans to the flour mixture (after adding the butter). Follow directions above. While baking make the maple icing: blend 4 cups powdered sugar, ¼ cup milk, 4 Tablespoons butter, melted, 1 Tablespoon brewed coffee, and 2 teaspoons maple extract until well blended and lump free. Once scones have cooled completely ice with maple icing and top with pecans. Let icing dry completely before storing in an airtight container.

Strawberry Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

To the dried mixture (before adding butter) zest in one lemon and add 2 teaspoons poppy seeds. After you've mixed everything together slowly fold in 1 cup chopped strawberries (fresh or frozen). Then bake as normal. Drizzle cooled scones with lemon glaze (if desired): Juice of 1 lemon, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 Tablespoon heavy cream. Mix together until well blended, adding more powdered sugar as needed to get a good drizzling consistency. 

Cherry Almond Scones

After scones have been mixed, carefully fold in 1 cup (fresh or frozen) cherries (halved is a little easier to work with) and bake as normal. While baking make the Almond glaze: 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 Tablespoons milk or cream, ½ teaspoon almond extract. Mix until well combined. Drizzle over cooled scones and top with sliced almonds. 

Orange Chocolate Chip Scones

Just like the cranberry orange scones, except fold in mini chocolate chips instead of cranberries. 

Caramel Apple Scones

To the flour mixture (before adding butter) add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. After scones have been mixed with wet mixture, fold in 1 apple that's been chopped into bite size pieces. Bake as normal. After scones have cooled drizzle with your favorite caramel sauce. I like to use my homemade salted caramel recipe.

More scone ideas to come! :)

Apple, Bacon & Gargonzola Salad w/ Candied Pecans

I love a good salad. Especially when it's loaded with bacon and cheese! Oh and the homemade candied pecans are amazing and way cheaper than buying them in the store.

• 4 cups of your favorite greens (I like to use a mixture of baby spinach and a spring salad mix
• 1 green apple, cored and sliced
• 4 slices bacon, chopped and fried until crispy
• Crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• Dried cranberries
• Candied pecans (recipe below)

Apple Cider Poppy Seed dressing:

• ¾  cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 Tablespoons Apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup honey
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon dry minced onion

Combine all the dressing ingredients together in a mason jar or small bowl and mix well. Set aside. Or make ahead of time and keep in fridge, up to 1 week. Combine the remaining salad ingredients and top with dressing. 

Candied Pecans

• 2 cups pecans
• 3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons water
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Mix the brown sugar, water, vanilla and salt in a small bowl and set aside. In a large frying pan over medium heat cook the pecan halves until fragrant and roasted, about 4-5 minutes. Add the brown sugar mixture to the pecans and stir until evenly coated, remove from heat. Lay out pecans on parchment paper to cool. Store unused pecans in a airtight container.

Caramel Apple Pizza

• 1 pkg (18oz) refrigerated sugar cookie dough, softened
• 1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 medium granny smith apples
• 1/4 cup caramel sauce
• 1/2 cup peanuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape softened cookie dough into a ball and place in center of large pizza pan covered with parchment paper or a 9x13 greased casserole dish; flatten slightly. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, or your fingers, flatten to about 1/4 inch thick. Bake 16-18 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven; cool completely. While it's cooling: Combine cream cheese, brown sugar, peanut butter and vanilla in medium bowl; mix well. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over cooled cookie. Core and slice (peel optional) apples and arrange over cream cheese layer. Drizzle with caramel sauce and top with nuts. Serve right away.